Door closer



R. S. POTTER DOOR CLOSER March 16 1926. 1,577,359

Filed August 11 1923 Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED sursis PATENT yOFFlCE.

ROBERT S. POTTER, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE5& TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.`

DOOR CLOSER.

Application fned August 11, 192s. seran no. 656,390.l

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownl that IA Romina S. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Greenwich, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Closers; and I do hereby 'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in door closers and more particularly to spring structure therefor.

The spring of a door closer is so constructed and arranged that it will initially impart sutlicient pressure to hold the'V door in its closed-positionand an ideal spring would be such as would maintain this same pressure throughout the opening action of the door, butl in practice this has not been attained for the reason that the spring pressure increases as the spring is wound by the opening of the door, In some closers using short springs, this increasing spring pressure becomes very objectionable, but when a long spring is employed, this increasing spring pressure will in a large measure be obviated. By increasing the length of the spring, a much more nearly uniform pressure is obtained and at the same time the resulting stress upon the spring is reduced to a minimum, thereby greatly lengthening the life of the spring.

An object of the present invention is to obviate the objectionable features above mentioned as incident to the use of .a short spring in a door closer, and to so construct the spring that it shall be compact and whereby the benets and advantages of a long spring shall be obtained without the necessity' for the provision of a large and cumbersome casing for the accommodation of a long spring.

`With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel structure as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an application of my improvements.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the spring structure.

Figure 3 is a secional view of the same, and

Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate -a modified construction. v

a The casing ofa door closer is represented at 1 and receivesiny its lower portion a nut 2 which carries an upwardly projecting tubular member 3 through which thespindle 4 of the closer passes and in which suitable packing is provided for said spindle.

A. flanged ring 5 loosely surrounds the lower portion of the tubular bearing member 3 and is provided with an arm 6 having a depending lug 7 entering a'recess 8 in the casing 1. Upon this flanged ringl is mounted aV circular plate which serves as a support 9 for my improved spring structure.

The spring structure comprises two spring coiled members 10 and 11 which are' connected together insuch manner lthat one member will, in effect, constitute a continua'- tion of the other. In order that this spring structure may be compact and at the same time possess the advantages of a long spring for a door closer, the said spring members are located one within the `other and in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures l, 2, and 3, the respective spring members are made integral with each other,-the connection between 'them being indicated at 12, Figure 2. The outer spring member 10 is provided at its upper end with an in,- wardly projecting lug or hook 13 and the upper end of the inner or auxiliary spring member 11 terminates in an inwardly projecting lug or hook 14. The lug or hook 13 of the outer spring member 10 engages a Winder 15, the hub portion 16 of which is mounted in the cover member 1a of the casing and receives the upper end portion of the spindle 4. Suitable connections are provided between the spindle 4 and the main lever 17 of the device and between said lever and the hub of the winder 15. These specific connections form no part of my present invention but may be such as disclosed in my patent dated Dec. 25, 1923, and designated by Serial N o. 1,47 8,615.

The lug or hook 14 at the upper end of the inner spring member 11 engages the upper end portion of an inner winder 18 which is made in tubular form and encircles the bearing member 3. Located within the upper portion of the inner winder 18 and keyed to rotate with the spindle 4 is a sleeve 19 provided with diametrically opposite lugs nuY from said inner winder. The inner winder 18 is provided at its lower end with a lug 22 to engage a lug 23 projecting upwardly from the ring A5.

The closer may be connected with either a right hand or left hand door and the torce incident to the movement of the main lever 17 may be applied either to the upper end of the outer spring member iirst, or the first application of power to the spring structure may, when the main lever is moved in the other direction, be applied lirst to the vupper end of the inner spring member.y

In either case the spring structure is such that it acts as and possesses theV advantages of a long spring in a door closer.

Instead of making the two spring members in one integral structure as shown in Figure 2, the two spring members may be made separate from each other and coupled together at their lower ends. For example, a couplingplate 24, Figures 5 and 6, may be employed,-said coupling plate being provided with shoulders 25 and 26 to receive respectively, lugs or hooks 27 and 28 projecting inwardly from the respective spring members.

'Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is l l. In a door closer, the combination with a casing, a plurality of spring winders within said casing, a lever, and connections between the respective spring winders and said lever, of a spring structure within the casing and comprising a plurality of connected coils providing a continuous spring, the respective ends ot such continuous spring being connected with the respective winders.

2.. In a door closer, the combination with relatively movable members, of a spring structure comprising two coils located one within the other and connected together at one end, the free ends of the respective coils being located at the upper end portion of the spring structure and provided with means for vconnection respectively with the relatively movable members, a single lever, and normally permanent connections between said lever and the respective movable members.

3. The combination with the casing of a door closer, and a lever, or' a spring struc ture comprising two coils one within the other and connected together at one end, outside winding means within the casing connected with the outer coil, inside winding means within the casing connected with the inside coil, and connections between said winders and said lever.

4l. The'combination with a casing and the spindle of a door closer, of a spring 'structure located within said casing and compris ing two coils one within the other and connected together at one end of the spring structure, a winder encircling'the spindle, a sleeve on the spindle and cooperable with said winder, means whereby the inner spring coil is connected with said winder, means for preventing rotation of said winder in one direction, and an outer Winder mounted in the top of the casing and connected with the upper end of the outer spring coil.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

ROBERT S. POTTER. 

